A village panchayat in Amgaon tehsil of Maharashtra’s Gondia district imposed a fine of Rs 21,000 on a farmer for damaging the stone idol of a local deity while carrying out land levelling work at his farm, and also issued a threat that he would face social boycott if he failed to pay the amount, police said on Friday.

The farmer, however, defied the diktat and lodged a complaint, following which a case was registered on June 16 against the village sarpanch and eight others in this connection, an official said.