Mumbai: Share values posted further gains at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on March 15 following sustained buying enquiries lifting the SENSEX by yet another 36.85 points to close at 3,617.68, partly buoyed by the VHP's religious ceremony passing off peacefully at Ayodhya.

Ram Janmabhumi Nyas president Ramchandra Das Paramhans, who had on March 14 threatened to end his life, on March 15, conducted a Shila Daan in a peaceful manner, infusing fresh confidence in the market, dealers said.

Right from the onset of business, share values displayed a firm trend mainly triggered by the hardline Hindu groups dropping plans to pray on the disputed site at Ayodhya, they added.

The BSE-30 share sensitive index resumed better at 3,593.56 and moved cautiously in a narrow range of 3,626.33 and 3,590.34 before concluding at 3,617.68 as against a close of 3,580.83 on March 14, a rise of 1.03 per cent.

The broad-based BSE-100 index also improved further by 16.62 points to 1,762.73 from previous close of 1,746.11.

Under the leadership of petrochem-giant, RIL, majority of old-economy stocks notched up sharp to moderate gains on renewed buying support.

Barring IT bellwether, Infosys Tech that eased on selling by foreign funds, most of the other software scrips also attracted good buying.

Second-rung old as well as new economy shares continued to be in limelight on speculative buying support.

PTI