No 9786, Wednesday 10 Mar 10, Gridman

ACROSS
1 - One who abandons could start in confused state (7) - DIT{C}HER
5 - The French leader recalled sore spot (6) - {LES}{ION<-} )
9 - People are in agreement when they are in this (5) - UNITY [CD]
10 - A thin girl streaks in drizzle (5,4) - LIGHT RAIN*
11 - Aglow, that man takes turn for drug (7) - {LIT}{HI{U}M}
12 - Forgive prisoner and fellow-inmate finally (7) - {CON}{DON}{E}
13 - Mutt on the outskirts of Vellore is crook (5) - {CUR}{VE}
14 - One is obliged to answer these demands (4,5) - DUTY CALLS [CD]
16 - What under-estimators won't do (9) - OVERVALUE [CD]
19 - “Men have become the tools of __ tools” (Thoreau) (5) - THEIR [E]
21 - Uncommon for saint to give vent to anger (7) - {ST}{RANGE}
23 - Blimp designing hip sari (7) - AIRSHIP*

24 - Most rally with elan hither and thither (6,3) - NEARLY ALL*
25 - Fruit secreted by Dombivili children (5) - LICHI [T] Actually spelt as Litchi or Lychee. really yummy fruit.

26 - We, far from weakness, brandish old Scottish daggers (6) - SKEANS(-we)*

27 - Flared up at Government's warning signal (3,4) - RED FLA*{G}
DOWN
1 - XX (6-8) - DOUBLE CROSSING [CD]
2 - One who taunts with a bird sound (7) - TWITTER [DD]
3 - Henry's consent to cable in confusion (7) - {H}{AY}{WIRE}
4 - Extraordinary Erode moll is someone to emulate (4,5) - ROLE MODEL*
5 - Clear reasoning in record I collected initially (5) - {LOG}{I}{C}
6 - Like Rushdie's “Verses”? (7) - SATANIC [E]
7 - Doing very well are soldiers in South American plain put up (2,1,4) - ON A {RO}LL <- )
8 - Sunder's out catching subordinate (14) - UNDERS*{TRAPPING}
15 - Let hatter unfold old British publication (3,6) - THE TATLER*
17 - Appropriate feature added to Mangalore's foremost ship (7) - {EAR}{M}{ARK}
18 - Home has stock of an essence used in cooking (7) - V{AN}ILLA
19 - Overturned creature at road-end (7) - {TURTLE}{D}
20 - Seth I called within is full of integrity (7) - ETHICAL [T]
22 - Tests cutback on manuscripts (5) - {EXA<-}{MS} )

GRID