£60,000 awarded to terror suspect
The Metropolitan Police have agreed to pay £60,000 damages to a man arrested during an anti-terror raid.
The High Court heard that Babar Ahmad was subjected to "serious gratuitous prolonged unjustified violence" and "religious abuse" after his arrest.
Mr Ahmad, a 34-year-old IT support analyst, was never charged following the dawn raid at his home in Tooting, south west London, in December 2003.
'Humiliate and debase'
Mr Justice Holroyde heard that one of the unnamed officers allegedly involved will face criminal proceedings.
Phillippa Kaufmann, counsel for Mr Ahmad, told the High Court that he had been dragged by handcuffs and held by the neck.
It was also claimed that he was forced into a kneeling Muslim prayer position and asked: "Where is your God now?"
Previously, the force had denied that Mr Ahmad had been punched, stamped on, grabbed and pulled by the testicles and repeatedly struck with the knee in the police van.
The court heard that one officer told him as he was being beaten in the police van: "You'll remember this day for the rest of your life."
Mr Ahmad was in court to hear lawyers for Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson agree to the pay-out.
Previously, he had followed proceedings by videolink from Long Lartin prison, Worcestershire.
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