Patna, Jan 10 (Reporter) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids simultaneously at 18 locations of RJD MLA and former Bihar minister Alok Kumar Mehta across the country in connection with alleged over Rs 85 crore bank loan fraud case. Sources close to the ED said here that the raids were going on simultaneously at 9 locations in Patna and Hajipur, at 5 places in Kolkata , at 4 places in Varanasi and at one place in new Delhi. The case is associated with over Rs 85 crore fraud in Vaishali Urban Development Cooperative Bank through fake loans, forged bank accounts and documents and money laundering. Three separate FIRs were registered in Hajipur following a report of The Reserve Bank of India which had identified violations of its guidelines in loan disbursement. The raids were also going on at the official and personal residence of Mehta in Patna who previously had served as the bank's chairman-cum-promoter until 2012. According to the sources, the loans were allegedly procured using forged documents, and the role of the bank’s chairman, promoter, chief executive officer, and managing director came under investigation. The Vaishali Urban Development Bank was founded by Alok Mehta’s father, Tulsi Das Mehta, around 35 years ago. The RBI had granted the bank its operational licence in 1996. Alok Mehta succeeded his father as chairman in 1995 and held the position until 2012, after which he handed over the charge to his father who too was penalised by the RBI for financial irregularities. Meanwhile Bihar Social Welfare Minister Madan Sahni said that the ED's raid at Mehta's places should not be linked with politics as such investigating agencies functions independently. JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar accused RJD for financial misconduct saying that corruption practices against RJD leaders were not new. He alleged that Mehta's conduct was shocking and added that the financial irregularities have reaffirmed RJD leaders' longstanding reputation of their indulgence in corruption...////...