Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — section 9

9. “Holder in due course”. “Holder in due course” means any person who for consideration 3 becomes the possessor of a promissory note, bill of exchange or cheque if payable to bearer, or the payee or indorsee thereof, if payable to order, before it became overdue, without notice that the title of the person from whom he derived his own title was defective. Explanation.— For the purposes of this section the title of a person to a promissory note, bill of exchange or cheque is defective when he is not entitled to receive the amount due thereon by reason of the provisions of section 58.]