Concept:A cheque is considered stale if it is presented for payment after a long delay.
Explanation:The holder kept the cheque from January 1997 to September 1997.
This period is more than six months, which is the usual validity limit for a cheque.
After this time, the bank may refuse to pay the cheque.
Such a cheque is no longer valid for immediate payment.
It is not a traveller’s cheque, post-dated cheque, or crossed cheque because the delay is the key factor.
Therefore, it is called a stale cheque.
Answer:C. stale cheque