His actions were linked to advocating for the rights of Adivasis against alleged exploitation by individuals with feudal affiliations and political connections.

[citation needed] Arikkad Varghese, among others, was allegedly involved in actions against what some perceive as the misuse and exploitation of illiterate Adivasi people in Wayanad during the 1960s.

[5][4] In the 1970s, Varghese and his team persisted in their operations, spreading fear across the Thrissileri-Thirunelli regions of Wayanad through targeted acts of violence and destruction.These actions not only instilled terror among the local population but also brought about significant changes in the socio-political, economic, and agricultural sectors of Kerala, particularly in Wayanad.

Allegedly, the church declined to bury his body, and he was subsequently interred at his ancestral home in Ozhukkan Moola, Vellamunda.

On 28 October 2010, in a historic judgement a special 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.