THANE, Dec. 12 -- MNS chief Raj Thackeray and seven party workers appeared before a Thane court on Thursday in connection with a 2008 rioting case, in which several north Indians were allegedly beaten up in Kalyan. Chief judicial magistrate AV Kulkarni framed charges against the eight accused and explained them in court. Thackeray pleaded not guilty and sought a trial. The case pertains to the alleged assault on north Indian job aspirants during a railway recruitment drive at Kalyan station, and damage caused to railway property. After Thackeray denied the charges in court, the judge instructed him to fully cooperate with the proceedings, saying the trial could be concluded within a month if he did. Thackeray will not be required to physically attend the subsequent hearings, according to his lawyer, advocate Rajendra Shirodkar. The matter will be heard next on December 16. The case was initially being heard in a Kalyan court, which had summoned Thackeray several times. He had not complied with those summons. The case was later transferred to the Thane court. Thackeray has anticipatory bail in the case. In 2008, hundreds of job aspirants had travelled to Kalyan to appear for a Railway Recruitment Board examination. MNS workers allegedly assaulted candidates who had come from northern states and vandalised property at the Kalyan railway station. It was alleged that Thackeray had instigated the attack by asserting that outsiders were depriving local youth of employment opportunities. A case was subsequently registered by the Kalyan Government Railway Police against Thackeray and seven of his party workers for the alleged rioting....