140. Collective suits or applications - Subject to such rules (if any) as may be made in this behalf under Section 264, a suit may be instituted before, or an application may be made to, the Deputy Commissioner collectively by or against any number of tenants holding land in the same village; and an allegation that such tenants are wrongly joined shall be no ground for dismissing a suit or refusing to hear an application;
but, no order shall be passed in any collective suit or on any such collective application unless the officer making the same is satisfied that all parties have had an opportunity to appear and make objection to any claims preferred against them;and if at any time it appears to the Deputy Commissioner that the question between any two of the parties of whom one is so joined with others cannot conveniently be jointly tried or heard, the Deputy Commissioner may order a separate trial or hearing.
