No 9828, Wednesday 28 Apr 10, Sankalak

Driving back to Bangalore today
ACROSS
1   - One struggling for independence may deem right offer wrong (7,7) - FREEDOM FIGHTER*
8   - Remove or reduce about a pound (6) - AB{L}ATE
9   - Defector from a job brewing tea (8) - {A}{POST}{ATE*}
11 - What a trader finally earns — gain from the Infobahn? (3,6) - {NET} {PROFIT}
12 - Admonition to a child dawdling with dinner (3,2) - EAT UP [CD]
13 - On which to drive uphill (3,4) - LOW GEAR [CD]
15 - What does Omerta involve? One can't tell! (7) - SECRECY [CD]
17 - Territorial Army, say, violates limit with excellent backing (7) - {MILIT*}{IA}
19 - Bachelor with girl, not heartless but without shame (7) - {B}{LATA}{N(o)T}
21 - Artist, leader in sculpting, elderly, in retreat (5) - {DEGA<-}{S}
23 - Revenue official who had trials re-organised (9) - TAHSILDAR*
25 - The edge of the road must be followed by every road-hog initially (8) - {SHOULD}{E}{R}
26 - Tom and Jerry, e.g., losing a round in a box (6) - CART(o)ON
27 - What an alpinist needs if he would move towards peaks (4,3,7) - HEAD FOR HEIGHTS
DOWN
1   - Sweet talk gets woollen material (7) - FLANNEL [DD]
2   - Story written up about beginning of creation, a splendid success (5) - E{C}LAT<- )
3   - What punishment is meant to be can discourage ten right off (9) - {DETER}{R}{ENT*}
4   - The driving force for one member, alien-American (7) - {I}{MP}{ET}{US}
5   - It makes for waste, they say (5) - HASTE [E]
6   - Skin eruption puts a former worker on edge with a trace of allergy (9) - {EX}{ANT}{HEM}{A}
7   - How may great sorrow affect one? Profoundly! (6) - DEEPLY [CD]
10 - At a distance, a British force repulsed (4) - {A}FAR <- )
14 - Bird figuring in a fruitless search (4-5) - WILD-GOOSE [E]
16 - Mock serenade by Ravi, a rich composition (9) - CHARIVARI*
17 - Gorgon mother who accepted settlement of dues (6) - M{EDUS*}A

18 - Small company rated bad in interior design (3,4) - {ART DE*}{CO}
19 - It is money in Bangkok (4) - BAHT [E]
20 - The endless misdeeds, one hears, of crowds (7) - {TH(-e)}{RONGS}(~wrongs)
22 - Big star with identity difficult to undermine (5) - {SOL}{ID}
24 - The beginning of deadly, strong desire to abandon someone (5) - {D}{ITCH}