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{{More citations needed|date=April 2010}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Arikkad Varghese
|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1938|6|14}}
|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1970|2|18|1938|6|14}}<ref name=ti>{{cite news|last=Ramavarman|first=T.|title=40 years later, ex-IG found guilty of Naxalite's murder|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-10-28/india/28218479_1_cbi-probe-police-encounter-fake-encounter-case|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925060911/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-10-28/india/28218479_1_cbi-probe-police-encounter-fake-encounter-case|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 September 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=28 October 2010}}</ref>
|birth_place = [[Vellamunda]], [[Malabar District]], [[British India]]
|death_place = [[Thirunelli]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]<ref name=ti/>
|known_for = Communist activist<br>Murdered by the police
|image = Naxal Varghese.jpg
|caption =
}}
'''Arikkad Varghese''' ({{lang-ml|അരിക്കാട് വർഗീസ്}}, 14 June 1938 - 18 February 1970), popularly known as '''Saghavu Varghese''', was an Indian [[communist]] activist ([[Naxalite]]), who fought mainly to protect the [[Adivasi]]s in [[Wayanad]] from the exploitation of the feudal lords who were primarily members of political parties like Congress, and the police system which then aided the exploitation, during the 1960s.

Naxal Varghese is especially notable in the history of Kerala, for being murdered by the police in a fake encounter, and the truth of this incident which remained unknown for 40 years. After 40 years, the very policeman who fired the shot revealed to the world that he had murdered him, and called for a trial. In the course of the trial, the now-old policeman died before he could testify before the court. A colleague of his testified, and one senior police officer who ordered the murder was convicted and sentenced by the court.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zeenews.com/news664055.html|title=Kerala top cop convicted in Naxal Varghese case|work=Zee News|accessdate=1 April 2015}}</ref>

Other [[Naxalite]]s who worked with him were [[K. Ajitha|Ajitha]],
and [[Ayinoor Vasu|Grow Vasu]].

==Naxal life==
Arikkad Varghese along with many others fought against the misuse and exploitation of illiterate [[adivasi]] people of [[Wayanad]] in 1960s. The Naxalites assassinated many landlords including Adiga, Chekku and distributed the assets gained from this landlords to the poor. The police tried to suppress it with power and by 1970 the protest was very weakened. On February 17, 1970 Varghese sought shelter and food from Karimath Sivaraman Nair. While he was asleep someone informed police and he was arrested. His body was later found at Koomparakuni near to [[Thirunelli]] police station. The Church refused to bury his body and he was later buried at his ancestral home at Ozhukkan Moola in [[Vellamunda]].

==Murder==
Police constable P. Ramachandran Nair admitted publicly in 1998 that he had shot Varghese on orders of [[K. Lakshmana]], then a deputy superintendent of police.<ref name=ti/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?206579|title=Confessions Of A Cop - Venu Menon|publisher=|accessdate=1 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?206580|title='They Are Going To Kill Me'}}</ref> A gun was planted on the dead body to imply that he had been shot dead in an encounter with the police. On 28 October 2010, in a historic judgement a special [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] court found former police officer [[K. Lakshmana]] guilty of compelling Ramachandran Nair to shoot Varghese and was sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of ten thousand rupees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com|title=Mathrubhumi|publisher=|accessdate=1 April 2015}}</ref> The verdict was later upheld by the [[Kerala High Court]].[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/fake-encounter-retd-igps-life-term-upheld/803719/]

==Legacy==
Varghese is often called 'Kerala [[Che Guevara]]', comparing him with the iconic Cuban communist revolutionary, because of the similarity of work he undertook for the underprivileged and the similarity in the circumstances of death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?206580/|title='They Are Going To Kill Me'|publisher=|accessdate=1 April 2015}}</ref>

==In popular culture==

The 2008 [[Malayalam film]] ''[[Thalappavu]]'' directed by [[Madhupal]], has the murder of Varghese as its main theme. Malayalam actor Prithviraj played the role of Naxal Varghese in the movie<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sarathdr.com/2008/09/10/thalappavu-story-of-naxal-varghese/|title=Thalappavu - Story of Naxal Varghese - Mesmerizing Moments - sarathdr.com|accessdate=1 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207001941/http://www.sarathdr.com/2008/09/10/thalappavu-story-of-naxal-varghese/|archive-date=7 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Naxalite]]
* [[Thalappavu|Thalappavu (film)]]
* [[Rajan case]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
* Keralakaumudi weekend February 2010, Story on Naxal Varghese
*[http://kaumudiglobal.com/innerpage1.php?newsid=15454 Supreme Court Observation on Varghese case]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Varghese, Naxal}}
[[Category:1970 deaths]]
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Indian communists]]

Arikkad Varghese - Revision history

->SdkbBot at 03:10, 5 January 2022