Across
1 Places where distressing activities take place as a routine (6,5) BARBER SHOPS
9 Company car woman takes for bullfight (7) CORRIDA
10 Main colour? (3-4) SEA BLUE
11 Graduate gains colour, having dropped all clothes (5) BARED
12 Getting dumpy nose fixed, acquire another name (9) PSEUDONYM
13 Brief from smarter setter (5) TERSE
15 Goes too far while climbing the staircase? (9) OVERSTEPS
18 Reassert a refurbishment is needed for places from where no driving should be made (4,5) REAR SEATS
21 One getting up for part of flight (5) RISER
22 Soldier to abandon traitor (6,3) DESERT RAT
24 Yes, a high school may have these maids (5) AYAHS
26 Circumspect Creole admits good artist (2,5) EL GRECO
27 Nothing to one dress brought back from range (7) NILGIRI
28 Activity happening in 1ac. or as part of some Hindu ritual (11) HAIRCUTTING
Down
1 One who criticises people but not to their faces (9)BACKBITER
2 More infrequent artist on engineer’s third circuit (5)RARER
3 Reviled so badly, they act badly (9) EVILDOERS
4 It removes dirt from locks (7)SHAMPOO
5 Old boy on spectacle that’s disgusting (7) OBSECENE
6 Good man with viewpoint (5) STAND
7 Malicious reports not initiated by people living in Sri Lanka, say (8) SLANDERS
8 Treatment that creates waves in the hair salon (4) PERM
14 Travelled, we hear, to initial info by the way (4,4)ROAD SIGN
16 Runnel — a small measure in the thoroughfare (9) STREAMLET
17 Putting pressure on troublesome girl to leave (9) STRESSING
19 One is underneath a church official as derived by logic (1,6) A PRIORI
20 An act is reviewed as utterly wicked (7)SATANIC
22 Said to have longed for having the colour changed (4) DYED
23 Smoke emanating from three chulahs (5) REECH
25 Air India to uphold liberal defence (5) ALIBI