Bijapur, Dec 31 (ANI): In a major crackdown, police in Chhattisgarh arrested at least 32 Maoist sympathizers. The operation was carried out in Bijapur district, hotbed of Maoist rebels. Most of the accused had several cases pending against them. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Bijapur, Indira Kalyan Elesela, said some of them faced serious charges like murder etc. The rebels have operated for decades across a wide swath of central and eastern India, and grew in strength during recent times in areas where poor, tribal villagers came into conflict with mining companies seeking resources for industrialization.