The Hindu Crossword 8174 Solutions

Across
1 It's amusing to have a firm on motorway to California (7) COMICAL (firm=CO, motorway=MI, California=CAL)
5 Divers cold-blooded males (7) FISHMEN (cold-blooded=FISH (cold-blooded animal), males=MEN => FISH+MEN)
9 Gratify one's appetite freely (7) INDULGE (Direct)
10 Withdraw again from the region (7) RETRACT (again=RE, region=TRACT => RE+TRACT)
11 True member of royal domain (5) REALM (True=REAL, member=M => REAL+M)
12 Select place at Ascot which goes with the post (9) ENCLOSURE (??)
13 Police divisions (9) PRECINCTS (Direct)
15 King and Queen with nobles and pawns for a game of skill? (5) CHESS (Direct)
16 Accepted rule by clergymen (5) CANON (Direct)
18 Sent contained in a seal the indispensable of the highest degree (9) ESSENTIAL (ana. SENT+I(a)+SEAL -- Horrible clue IMHO. No proper anagram indicator, and awful surface reading)
21 Bury dictionary which is subject to ban (9) INTERDICT (Bury=INTER, dictionary=DICT)
24 Many bring ruin foolishly, upon themselves (5) INCUR (ana. C (Many)+RUIN)
25 Transport operations by RAF (7) AIRLIFT (Direct)
26 Inconsequential chatter may quietly irritate one (7) PRATTLE (quietly=P, irritate=RATTLE => P+RATTLE)
27 Fast time in pay settlement, in abundance (7) APLENTY (Fast time=LENT, pay settlement=ana. PAY=APY => Fast time in pay settlement=AP(LENT)Y -- settlement as an anagram indicator? Lame)
28 Roughly, the French have a railway distinctly without blemish (7) CLEARLY (Roughly=C, the French=LE, a=A, railway=RLY => C+LE+A+RLY)

Down
1 Expression of encouragement heard to come from a bird (7) CHIRRUP (sounds like Cheer Up)
2 Communication channel Lawrence uses to intercede between parties (7) MEDIATE (Communication channel=MEDIA, Lawrence=TE => MEDIA+TE -- and I thought media was plural. Improper wording)
3 South American doctor gets a first class return in a Panamanian port (9) COLOMBIAN (doctor=MB, first class=AI=>first class return=IA, Panamanian port=COLON => COLO(MB.IA)N)
4 General arranges soldier to be his vassal (5) LEIGE (ana. LEE(General)+GI(soldier) -- worst clue of the lot. The compiler expects us to come up with an anagram of 2 synonyms. Ximenes must turn in his grave)
5 Weather prospects ruined forests around California (9) FORECASTS (forests=FORESTS, California=CA => FORE(CA)STS -- The word ruined is redundant, and has been added solely to complete the sentence. Bad, bad, bad)
6 Excel in the work entrusted (3,2) SET TO (Direct)
7 Am sure about the quarter portion to be meted out for treatment (7) MEASURE (ana. AM SURE+E(quarter))
8 Passes ball through legs of opposing player (7) NETTERS (??)
14 Couple's instinctual reaction in laboratory work? (9) CHEMISTRY (Double Defn.)
15 Frank got fed up with being a competitor (9) CANDIDATE (Frank=CANDID, got fed up=ATE => CANDID+ATE)
16 Mexican girl, mostly elegant and fashionable (7) CHICANA (Chicana is a woman of Mexican descent, elegant and fashionable=CHIC)
17 Brown returns by another river unaffected (7) NATURAL (Brown=TAN=>Brown returns=NAT, river=URAL =>NAT+URAL -- why 'another' river?)
19 To put it in a nicer fashion, he urges one on (7) INCITER (it=IT, nicer fashion=ana. NICER =INCER => it in a nicer fashion = INC(IT)ER)
20 Generous, in a great manner (7) LARGELY (Double Defn. -- but why Generous? Should be Generously instead. Duh)
22 Turbulent Niger exercises a predominating influence (5) REIGN (ana. NIGER)
23 Tip given by commanding officer on the subject (5) TOPIC (ana. TIP+CO (comanding officer) -- Again, I fail to spot an anagram indicator)