The Hindu Crossword 8242 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

As expected, there is only one way the clues are headed - southbound

Across
1 Second rate bunch under a stain (4) SPOT
3 Sign of possession (10) APOSTROPHE
10 Dante's hell (7) INFERNO
11 Structure of thin strips of wood crossing to serve as screen (7) LATTICE
12 Invigorating restorative (5) TONIC
13 Thought too highly of being taxed (9) OVERRATED
14 Introductory performances (8) PRELUDES
15 Looked closely at the nobleman (6) LEERED
18 Sap the French quietly to get the fruits (6) APPLES
20 Determined again to be rebuked (8) REPROVED
24 Hugo wrote about a premonition to bet on (9) HUNCHBACK
26 He has an aversion for work (5) IDLER
27 Calls quietly for the edging (7) SHIPLAP
28 A grudging giver (7) NIGGARD
29 Deliberate transposition of initial letters of two or more words (10) SPOONERISM
30 Tract of land growing trees (4) WOOD

Down
1 Raised by adding something to the underside (5,2) SHIFT UP
2 Transgression of a receiver? (7) OFFENCE
4 Advances aid to stimulate support (8) PROPOSES
5 Joins with easily melted alloy (6) SOLDER
6 It turns in either direction (5) ROTOR
7 He can rip and rent to go to press (7) PRINTER
8 Corrected me to reform somehow (7) EMENDED
9 Breakage from turf race (8) FRACTURE
16 Gains by labour (8) EARNINGS
17 Times for holidays (8) WEEKENDS
18 Apes his gradual loss of vowel at the beginning of a word (7) APHESIS
19 Pigeon-sized petrel of southern seas (7) P_N_I_O
21 Natural cooker broiling spectacularly (7) VOLCANO
22 Ride indeed and treated with scorn (7) DERIDED
23 Beggar with nothing to his name (6) PAUPER
25 A face that launched a thousand ships (5) HELEN