The Hindu Crossword 8246 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Across
1 Low in spirit, hurl to the ground (4-4) CAST-DOWN (Double Defn.)
5 Added masala in the kitchen (6) SPICED (Direct)
9 Makes a request to carry fruit around 1 (7) APPLIES (fruit=APPLES, 1=I=>to carry fruit around 1 = APPL(I)ES)
10 Afterwards a student might move sideways (7) LATERAL (Afterwards=LATER, a=A, student=L => LATER+A+L)
11 Serve sepoy such Chinese-style American dishes (4,5) CHOP SUEYS (Serve sepoy such = ana. SEPOY+SUCH)
12 Patil trounced out with the lance in hand (5) ATILT (Container => pATIL Trounced)
13 Colonial insects (4) ANTS (Cryptic Defn. -- ants move in colonies)
14 Use broken cane for a dwelling (9) HABITANCE (Use=HABIT, broken CANE=ANCE => HABIT+ANCE)
17 Len, let Tim meet the ordinary persons (6,3) LITTLE MEN (Len, let Tim meet = ana. LEN+TIM+MEET)
19 Cain's brother (4) ABEL (Direct)
23 Guess it's tape (5) INKLE (Double Defn.)
24 Chess or carom, for instance (5,4) BOARD GAME (Direct)
25 Such a maid lives at the place of employment (5-2) SLEEP-IN (Direct)
26 Fish out our broadcasters sinking in the mud (7) LAIRING (Fish=LING, our broadcasters=AIR=>Fish out our broadcasters = L(AIR)ING)
27 Not lemons, but some other fruit (6) MELONS (ana. LEMONS)
28 Private coteries disbanded (8) ESOTERIC (ana. COTERIES)

Down
1 Cleaner gets fuel that is dark (8) CHARCOAL (Cleaner=CHAR, fuel=COAL => CHAR+COAL)
2 Second to drink wine (7) SUPPORT (to drink=SUP, wine=PORT => SUP+PORT)
3 Most lifeless of Khadri establishments (6) DRIEST (Container => KhaDRI ESTablishments)
4 Arab twins peep into trash can (10,3) WASTEPAPER BINS (ana. ARAB+TWINS+PEEP -- is 'into' ana anagram indicator??)
6 Kills gently (4,4) PUTS AWAY (Direct)
7 Person with heart disease among hundred radicals agitating outside Lok Sabha (7) CARDIAC (hundred=C, radicals agitating=ana RADICALS=ARDIACLS=>radicals agitating outside Lok Sabha=ARDIACLS-LS=ARDIAC => C+ARDIAC)
8 Cut out the proof-reader's instruction (6) DELETE (Double Defn.)
10 Rebel Sima less prone to put together the novel (3,10) LES MISERABLES (ana. REBEL+SIMA+LESS)
15 As was dipped in 18dn before writing (5,3) STEEL PEN (Direct)
16 Having a dislike, shows unusual ill-grace (8) ALLERGIC (ana. ILL-GRACE)
18 Fount of calligraphy in olden days, perhaps (3-4) INK-WELL (Fount=WELL => INK-WELL)
20 Brother goes around riotous Zaire for charcoal pan (7) BRAZIER (Brother=BR, riotous Zaire=ana. ZAIRE=AZIER => BR+AZIER)
21 Having the ability to move with ease among Bengalis, Somalis, etc. (6) LISSOM (Container => BengaLIS SOMalis)
22 Notice break going off course (6) ADRIFT (Notice=AD, break=RIFT => AD+RIFT)