'He Was a Looter': General Dyer’s Granddaughter Mocks Jallianwala Bagh Survivor’s Family in Shocking Exchange

Caroline Dyer, the great-granddaughter of General Reginald Dyer who led the British troops during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, met with Raj Kohli, whose great-uncle Balwant Singh had survived the brutal attack. The moment, expected to be one of remembrance and reflection, quickly turned tense when Dyer made shocking remarks.

While asking about Balwant Singh’s experience during the massacre, Caroline Dyer said, “He was a looter.” Her words deeply upset Raj Kohli, who explained that his great-uncle had survived the bloodbath by hiding under a pile of dead bodies.

Adding to the shock, Caroline Dyer said, “I think history is history and you’ve got to accept that.”

She continued, defending her great-grandfather, “General Dyer is a very honourable man and greatly liked by the Indian who spoke three or four Indian languages which very few people did.”

Who Was General Dyer? The Man Behind the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

General Reginald Dyer was a British officer known for ordering the firing on a peaceful gathering in Amritsar in 1919, an incident that came to be known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Born on October 9, 1864, in Murree (then in British India, now in Pakistan), Dyer joined the British Army in 1885 and later served in the Indian Army. He fought in Burma and Waziristan, and during World War I, he helped guard the Eastern Persian border to stop German influence from reaching Afghanistan.

In 1919, as a brigade commander stationed in Jalandhar, Dyer was called to Amritsar after protests turned violent, resulting in the deaths of four Europeans and the assault of a British missionary. To control the situation, he banned public gatherings in the city.

However, on April 13, thousands of Indians gathered at Jallianwala Bagh—a walled ground in Amritsar. Without warning, Dyer ordered his troops to open fire. Official records say 379 people were killed and around 1,200 injured, though Indian sources claim the numbers were much higher. Most victims were unarmed men, women, and children.

The massacre drew widespread criticism worldwide. Dyer was removed from duty and forced to retire. In India, the tragedy became a turning point in the freedom struggle, and the site is now a national memorial.

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

On April 13, 1919, British troops opened fire on a peaceful crowd gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab, killing hundreds. People had assembled during the Baisakhi festival to protest against the Rowlatt Act and the arrest of freedom fighters Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal.

Acting Brigadier General R.E.H. Dyer ordered his troops to block the only exit and shoot at the unarmed crowd without warning. The firing lasted for about 10 minutes, killing an estimated 379 to over 1,500 people and injuring more than 1,200.

The massacre shocked the nation, breaking public trust in British rule and sparking the Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. Though Britain has never formally apologised, it expressed "deep regret" in 2019, a century later.