Unidentified people set on fire paddy stacks of 13 farmers on an area of 29 hectares in Maoist-hit Deori tehsil of Maharashtra's Gondia district, police said on Saturday.
This is the second such incident in the past few days, a senior official confirmed, adding that extra police officers had been deployed in Kadikasa-Yedmagondi village, under Chichgarh police station limits, to arrest the culprits.
An official put the loss due to the incident, which took place in the early hours of Friday, at Rs 22 lakh. In the intervening night of November 26-27, paddy stacked over an area of 62 hectares across seven villages was set on fire, leaving 38 farmers with losses of Rs 41.27 lakh, the official said.
An official said the paddy stacks are of the Kharif season, and were kept in the open fields as farmers in the area are awaiting the arrival of a harvesting machine.
Collector Kadambari Balkawde and other officials had visited the affected areas on November 28, while Deori's sub divisional officer Ravindra Rathore said crop loss survey had been completed and a report had been forwarded for aid to affected farmers from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
Additional Superintendent of Police Atul Kulkarni said police deployment had been increased in the area and efforts were on to nab the accused.
He said all angles, including the role of Maoists, were being probed.
Chichgarh is Maoist-affected and is close to the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.
An official said Maoists will be observing their "martyrs' week" from December 2 and such incidents may be the handiwork of ultras to stamp their presence in the area.
Video: Huge Row After Bengaluru Farmer In Dhoti Denied Entry To Mall Farmers Prep For March To Delhi After Haryana Told To Remove Roadblocks Thief Returns Valuables After Realising House Belonged To Renowned Poet Dubai Princess Shaikha Mahra Divorces Husband In Insta Post, Cites Reason In Massive Row Over Karnataka 100% Quota Bill, Chief Minister Deletes Post 25,000 Aspirants For Airport Jobs Paying Rs 22,000: A Mumbai Stampede Scare Hyundai Exter vs Tata Punch: Which CNG Option Is Better On Paper? Trump's Fossil Fuel Agenda Gets Priority Over Climate Change At Convention Travelling This Summer? Follow These Essential Tips To Better Manage The Heat Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.