After a prolonged legal battle, Nellikkattil Varkey (75), who claimed to be actor Lissy’s father, passed away on Sundayafternoon. Varkey who was bedridden for the last few months, was staying with his brother Babu in Kothamangalam of Ernakulam district.
The funeral will be held on Monday afternoon at Keerampara St. Joseph Church.
Varkey had been waging a legal battle for the last many years to prove in court that he was the father of Lissy, who had disowned him and declined to give him financial support many times in the past. But, Varkey had confirmed that Lissy had given him around Rs one lakh after a court order.
Speaking to media a few years ago, Varkey had said that he wouldn’t have sought financial help from his daughter if it were not for his ill health. He approached the court after he met with an accident in 2004 which left him badly injured.
It was in 2012 that the Ernakulam magistrate ordered Lissy to provide financial support to her poor father. However, Lissy consistently contested Varkey’s claim that he was her father. She also claimed that she did know him at all.
As per this report, Varkey who worked as an advocate’s clerk earlier, had separated from Lissy’s mother and re-married when Lissy was a child.
Varkey had told media that he had supported the actor financially while she was in school but couldn’t support her during her college days as he had no money.
In February 2016, the Kerala High Court had issued a notice to Lissy seeking to conduct a DNA test on her based on Varkey’s complaint. However, it was not proceeded with as Varkey fell ill again.
In the beginning, the Revenue Divisional Officer had ordered Lissy to pay an amount of Rs 5500 per month to Varkey. Later the district collector raised the amount to Rs 10,000 monthly, and Lissy finally paid Rs one lakh to Varkey.
However, till now the actor has not acknowledged that Varkey is her father.
“I always wanted a compromise and never wanted to enter into a legal battle with Lissy. But she disowned me, even going to the extent of saying that I was not her father,” Varkey had said in an interview.