Toronto councillor Parthi Kandavel has registered to run for re-election in Scarborough Southwest, amid an ongoing police investigation into his dealings with developers.
Kandavel, the first-term representative for Ward 20, filed his nomination papers on Friday.
He has denied any wrongdoing and said he believes the police investigation will exonerate him.
There are nine other candidates registered, including engineer Kevin Rupasinghe, who came second to Kandavel in the 2023 Scarborough Southwest byelection. Also registered is policy professional Sharmina Nasrin.
As the Star has previously reported, the Ontario Provincial Police have launched an investigation into Kandavel.
While the force hasn’t released details of the allegations, the investigation appears to have been prompted by a complaint filed to the city integrity commissioner in July 2025. The complaint hasn’t been made public, but the commissioner is obligated to refer a case to authorities if they determine there’s “reasonable grounds” to believe a crime has been committed.
The investigation is being led by the OPP’s anti-rackets branch.
The OPP confirmed to the Star on July 30 that the investigation “remains ongoing.” A police spokesperson declined to provide any further comment or details on the status of the probe.
An ongoing Star investigation has found police have sought information about or contacted individuals linked to at least three properties in Kandavel’s ward.
Two sources who are connected to developments in Scarborough Southwest and who spoke to the Star alleged the councillor requested the projects’ proponents make six-figure payments to third parties.
The sources said that while Kandavel didn’t threaten to hold up the projects, they understood that if they didn’t make the payments their developments could be delayed, and force them to incur significant costs. The sources requested anonymity out of concern for potential impacts on development projects.
Kandavel has not been charged with a crime, and nothing prevents someone who is under police investigation from running for city office.
With files from Victoria Gibson
