New Delhi  - A wild elephant nicknamed "Osama" that trampled 11 people to death was shot dead in India's eastern state of Jharkhand, a news report said Saturday.

The rogue tusker, which had terrorised villagers and destroyed crops and homes over the past two months, was killed by paramilitary police in the Bokaro district, the IANS news agency reported.

After the animal killed six people in neighbouring West Bengal state on May 21, the state government declared it a rogue elephant.

According to the report, it was tracked to the area 160 kilometres north-east of the state capital Ranchi on Friday and shot dead later in the night.

"The tusker was called Osama bin Laden by us. It was roaming free and ruthlessly killing people of the area," villager Mahadeo Manjhi told IANS.

According to Jharkhand's wildlife department, elephants have killed 400 people in the thickly-forested state in the past four years. Over 150 elephants have died there in recent years, several killed by angry villagers. (dpa)