Open this photo in gallery Candidate Roshan Nallaratnam watches as Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford speaks during a campaign event in Toronto on June 4, 2018. CARLO ALLEGRI/Reuters

Toronto Police have launched a professional-standards investigation into PC candidate and police officer Roshan Nallaratnam, after he allegedly sent out a threatening e-mail last week – an e-mail he says is a fake.

Mr. Nallaratnam, who is running for the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in Scarborough-Guildwood, has been an officer with the Toronto Police Service for nine years, according to his candidate bio.

The e-mail – which was sent at 3:20 a.m. from his account last Thursday – went out to almost 100 people, and was in reply to a video that questioned his absence from election debates.

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The e-mail begins with an expletive, then says, “… don’t do nasty campaign against me. I will teach the lesson after election [sic].”

On Monday, Toronto Police spokesperson Mark Pugash confirmed that the professional-standards branch is investigating the incident. As is standard policy, Mr. Nallaratnam is on leave from the police service for the duration of the campaign.

Mr. Nallaratnam previously ran for the Conservative Party in Scarborough in the 2015 federal election, but lost to Liberal Bill Blair.

In an e-mail statement written on behalf of Mr. Nallaratnam on Monday, Melissa Lantsman, spokesperson for PC Party Leader Doug Ford, alleged the e-mail is a fake.

“I did not send the e-mail in question. The e-mail is a fabrication from an account that does not belong to me,” the statement reads. “I have not been contacted by Toronto Police Services regarding this matter. I understand that every complaint made is reviewed, but again I have not been contacted.”

Mr. Pugash noted that this investigation had just begun, but that anyone who is the subject of such an investigation is, in due course, given an opportunity to respond.