No bail for murder suspect; judge imposes publication ban

Murder suspect Abdullah Mela was unable to show why he should be released pending trial, a judge ruled Friday, in denying the Calgary man bail.

Justice Willie deWit denied an application by Mela’s lawyer, Kim Arial, to set the accused free as his case makes its way through the courts.

At Arial’s request, deWit imposed a publication ban on the case on Monday, when he heard submissions and evidence, which includes his reasons for denying release.

Mela, 21, was arrested in December, along with another man, in connection with the April 2016 killing of a Calgary resident.

The body of Harsimran Singh Birdi, 20, was found in an alley in the 9700 block of Harvest Hills Link N.E. on April 7, 2016.

On Dec. 11, police announced they had taken two men into custody.

Along with Mela, who is charged with second- degree murder in Birdi’s slaying, Nadar Abdulbaki, 21, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder.

Birdi’s cause of death has not been released by the authorities.

Last November, police released photos of two vehicles and a person of interest in connection with the homicide.

Acting Insp. Paul Wozney said police believe the incident was targeted because the victim had no association to the area where his body was found.

“From our information that we have through our databases, he really had no association to that particular area,” he said.

“Nobody in the community knew who he was, which is a red flag for us.”

Defence counsel Jim Lutz has scheduled a bail application for Abdulbaki on Monday.