The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 74, Sunday 20 Sep 2026, Incognito

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ACROSS

8   Initial exposure behind animal shelter results in eye problem (4) STYE {Ex...e}<=>{STY}

9   Animal having desire to be accommodated in 10,000 square metres (5) HYENA {H{YEN}A}

10 Gun held by East-Ender (4) STEN [T]

11 Boy retiring behind vehicle is one who wantonly damages property (6) VANDAL {LAD<=}<=>{VAN}

12 Wrongfully fill up as "Bucket-loads" (8) PAILFULS*

13 Male creator redrew a kind of map projection (8) MERCATOR {M}{CREATOR*}

15 Rang Charlie and Della on return (6) CALLED {C}{DELLA<=}

17 Set aside book (7) RESERVE [DD]

19 Girls follow college head's study sessions (7) CLASSES {LASSES}<=>{Co...e}

22 European ruler and a teetotaller, Ali is confused (6) ATTILA {A}{TT}{ALI*}

24 Egg preparation from East European motel having a piece of tomato (8) OMELETTE {E+Eu...n+MOTEL}* over {To...o} Anind? Semi-&lit?

26 Darkish sort, carrying duke's computer storage device (4,4) HARD DISK {DARKISH}* over {D}

28 King's wife is in clutches of devious adder (6) EDWARD {ED{W}ARD}

30 Brandish wand to get sunrise (4) DAWN*

31 Engaged in terminus evacuation (2,3) IN USE [T]

32 Injured slow birds (4) OWLS*

DOWN

1   Grain exported from Argentina transported for Sicilian summit (4) ETNA {argENTinA}*

2   Chief revolutionary has a migraine, for example (8) HEADACHE {HEAD}{CHE} over {A}

3   Talk about the French summer hut used by herders (6) CHALET {CHA{LE}T}

4   Jumped parole taking dead animal (7) LEOPARD {PAROLE}*{D}

5   Mad chap with Amnesty International rejected by California (8) MANIACAL {MAN}{AI<=}{CAL}

6   American fuel may be of assistance (6) USEFUL {US}{FUEL*}

7   Power source in jail? (4) CELL [DD]

14 First lady at book function (5) EVENT {EVE}{NT}

16 Put in effort and uproot tree around ten (5) EXERT {E{X}ERT*}

18 Silly Vice Admiral drops ace for Putin, perhaps (8) VLADIMIR {VIce+aDMIRAL}*

20 She gets redwood after dropping 28 in forest (8) SHERWOOD {SHE}{RedWOOD}

21 Calculate and exercise (7) WORKOUT [DD]

23 I... I love and feast... (6) IODINE {I}{O}{DINE}

25 The Spanish girl gets name for cricket team (6) ELEVEN {EL}{EVE}{N}

27 A Washington Yankee is out (4) AWAY {A}{WA}{Y}

29 River next to city bank (4) RELY {R}{ELY}

Reference List

Male = M, Charlie = C, Teetotaller = TT, East = E, European = E, Duke = D, Wife = W, Revolutionary = CHE(Guevra), The in French = LE, Dead = D, Book = NT(New Testament), Edward = ED, The in Spanish = EL, Name = N, Yankee = Y, River = R

No 14902, Saturday 19 Sep 2026, Incognito

 ACROSS
8 Graduate at King University in capital (4) BAKU {BA}{K}U}

9 State: I had returned with nothing (5) IDAHO {I}{HAD<}{O}

10 Fever from time covering youth centre (4) AGUE {AG{yoUth}E}
11 African rode out from ladies' room agitatedly (6) SOMALI {LAdIeS roOM}
12 Resemble John Kelvin and be attracted to (4,4) LOOK LIKE {LOO}{K}{LIKE}
13 Dangerous creature from No.1 Corps, perhaps (8) SCORPION*

15 Spiritual session from Connery at church (6) SEANCE {SEAN}{CE} A DBE indicator required for Connery?
17 Setter and that lady from London wander in a circuitous manner (7) MEANDER {ME AND hER} London or East London? In East London, people drop their aitches. 
19 A testing facility by American Medical Association in state (7) ALABAMA  {A}{LAB}{AMA}

22 Search for a forge under construction (6) FORAGE*
24 Last amulet broken up carried note (8) ULTIMATE {AMULET*} around {TI}
26 Steer one vehicle in reverse at entrance (8) NAVIGATE {{I}{VAN}}<{GATE}
28 Editor cooked bile that can be consumed (6) EDIBLE {ED}{BILE*}
30 Wealthy! Having lots of oil! (4) RICH {DD]
31 Beats in places for social gathering (5) CLUBS [DD]
32 Bird nesting in winter nest (4) TERN [T]

DOWN

1 In short, Mansoor Ali Khan's love for shark (4) MAKO {Mansoor}{Ali}{Khan}{O}

2 Islander's god placed under rug protected by local star (8) SUMATRAN {RA}<=>{MAT} in {SUN}
3 Setter leaves mini-bike damaged in island (6) BIKINI {mINI BIKe}*
4 Chivalrous girl with trainee soldier (7) GALLANT {GAL}{L}{ANT}
5 Huge lasso thrown by colonel (8) COLOSSAL {LASSO*}<=>{COL}
6 Ali had dissected flower (6) DAHLIA*

7 Food from Kentucky (4) TUCK [HIPS]
14 Belief in sacred order (5) CREDO [T]
16 Celestial visitor comes endlessly... with a bit of tail (5) COMET {COMEs}{Tail}

18 Cheap, yet extraordinary device useful for dressing up as a pirate (8) EYEPATCH*
20 Meet by accident? (4,4) BUMP INTO [CD]
21 Exclude and lure (4,3) RULE OUT {LURE*} [RA]
23 Get off! It's on fire! (6) ALIGHT [DD]
25 Tiny nest built around eastern yard (6) TEENSY {NEST*} around{E}+{Y}
27 Letter in Arabic from Halifax (4) ALIF [HIPS]
29 To some extent strangely restless, one has to be plucky to play this instrument (4) LYRE [T]

Reference List

King=K, University=U, Nothing=0=O, Kelvin=K, Church=CE (Church of England), Setter=Me, One=1=I, Editor=Ed, Love=0=O, God=Ra (the Egyptian Sun god), Trainee=Learner=L, Eastern=E, Yard=Y.