The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 44, Sunday 22 Feb 2026, Incognito

Three answers per commenter till 4 PM (Annotations compulsory) 

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ACROSS

8   Skis broken in minor accident involving a gentle touch (4)

9   Drink box (5)

10 Stone duck with friend (4)

11 Person making design on stone and such things is with her (6)

12 Sticking plaster may be made from strange cosmetic (8)

13 Displacing dust, reserve to obtain equine pedigree record (8)

15 Think retired alien is following stupid aide (6)

17 Dirty relative having a bearing (7)

19 Idiotic git holding body part demanding to be scratched (7)

22 Man leaves human nosh prepared in island (6)

24 Middle Eastern countries having loan instalment with taxes (8)

26 Badly beat the endlessly careless journalist (8)

28 Damaged cart carrying Virginia's neckwear (6)

30 Rescue without charge (4)

31 Polishes fans (5)

32 Flavouring agent possessed by Father Brown (4)

DOWN

1   Colour from Austin, Texas (4)

2   Snake with head of department next to the Spanish flower (8)

3   Love troop marching around Portuguese city (6)

4   Ulna broken by Eisenhower is different (7)

5   Take things without paying from ship loft at sea (8)

6   Drive Ethel endlessly for German polymath (6)

7   Powder seen in hospital clock (4)

14 Brown gets chance for dance (5)

16 Stressful past, for example (5)

18 Bah! Dubai can be made capital of UAE... (3,5)

20 Top level discomfort? (8)

21 Ned's show of goodwill on departure (4,3)

23 Part of flower obtained from saint before conclusion of prayer (6)

25 Carve "Incorporated company is established at first" (6)

27 Musical instrument possessed by Tushar Pandey (4)

29 City shown in diagram (4)