The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Centre to look into the issues raised in a writ petition by Common Cause Society regarding the rising incidents of MIG-21 fighter plane crash during the past few years and take appropriate remedial measures. “The respondent (government) would do well if they look into the issues raised in the writ petition,” a division bench comprising Chief Justice Arijit Passayat and Justice D K Jain said while disposing of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by common cause director H D Shourie. The court rejected common cause counsel Meera Bhatia's plea for issuing notice to the government, saying that disclosing of any aspect of the matter would not be in the interest of national security. As Bhatia said that the court might ask for information from the defence ministry and not allow it to be passed on the the petitioner, the bench said that it was a technical matter. “The matter involved national security as well as secrecy and we think, they (government) must be seriously concerned about it,” the bench observed. Common cause alleged that the rising incidents of crash of MIG-21 planes had raised serious questions about efficient maintenance of this vital defence arm. “Since the MIG-21 aircraft technology is old, government should have upgraded it as was done by China by re-modifying plane's airframe and engine and fitting latest avionics in the cockpit. China, by making such modifications, had made MIG-21 an effective plane despite old technology,” the PIL said. Bureau Report