Mumbai, Sept 20: The rupee fell by 42 paise to a fresh two-year low level of Rs 48.23 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday amid weakness of the euro as worries over the European debt crisis deepened following Standard & Poor's downgrade of Italy's sovereign rating.
Dealers said a slide in the euro against the US dollar after ratings agency Standard & Poor's slashed Italy's rating put pressure on the rupee, but a higher opening in the equity market limited the losses.
On Monday, the rupee had tumbled by 55 paise to close at a fresh two-year low of Rs 47.81/82 against the American currency on strong demand for the greenback as a safe haven investment amid global worries. PTI