No 14381, Monday 13 Jan 2025, Incognito

Solution to 21D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance. 

Open for anyone to solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

8   Billionaire captivated by Meloni? (4) ELON [T]

9   Type of note produced by harps (5) SHARP*

10 Bone in possession of Moghul nawab (4) ULNA [T]

11 Free of charge? (6) ACQUIT [E]

12 Wizened woman on skating arena went ahead (8) WRINKLED {W}{RINK}{LED}

13 One may get fir cones from these (8) CONIFERS* Semi&lit

15 Require the French pointer (6) NEEDLE {NEED}{LE}

17 Pretended to feed, imbibing gin cocktail (7) FEIGNED {FE{GIN*}ED}

19 Customers' right in courts? (7) CLIENTS {C{LIEN}TS}

22 & 28 Where pilots and mountaineers may have friends? (2,4,6) IN HIGH PLACES [CD]

24 Amir lies about points a frequent flier may accumulate (3,5) AIR MILES*

26 He can be found in the church waving royal bat (5,3) ALTAR BOY*

28 See 22

30 Circulate rupee endlessly in country (4) PERU RUPEe*

31 Little support by New York (5) TEENY {TEE}{NY}

32 E-parrot? (4) ECHO [DD]

DOWN

1   In absence of king, obstruct group of countries (4) BLOC BLOCk

2   Putting up with irritated nude call on phone (8) ENDURING {NUDE*}{RING}

3   Fly drunken statesmen leaving 'Nam (6) TSETSE STaTESmEn*

4   Meet was organised for actress (3,4) MAE WEST*

5   Designing an oil pot? It is not mandatory... (8) OPTIONAL*

6   Collapse fastener (6) BUCKLE [DD]

7   Keen to bend joint (4) KNEE*

14 Canoe may be Indian, for example (5) OCEAN*

16 Machine found in rural Athens (5) LATHE [T]

18 Shows old British at sea without right (8) EXHIBITS {EX}{BrITISH*}

20 Items are manufactured in countries like Dubai or Abu Dhabi, for example (8) EMIRATES*

21 Minerals stop development of stye (7) ?A?Y?E? (Addendum - BARYTES {BAR}{STYE*} - See comments)

23 Legendary flier having one vehicle at university school (6) ICARUS {1}{CAR}{U}{S}

25 Gives back money as pyre is destroyed (6) REPAYS*

27 Tells untruth, "Isle is lost" (4) LIES*

29 Real tech development (4) ECHT*

Reference List

Woman = W, The in French = LE, Court = CT, Support = TEE, King = K, Right = R, University = U, School = S