A 23-year-old rape victim has been set ablaze by a gang of men, including the alleged rapist, as she has made her way to court in northern India, stirring public outrage and shame over the scourge of crimes against women.

Key points: Doctor DS Negi said the woman attacked and burned was in a critical condition

Doctor DS Negi said the woman attacked and burned was in a critical condition Police said five men, including the alleged rapist, were involved in setting the woman on fire

Police said five men, including the alleged rapist, were involved in setting the woman on fire The woman filed a complaint with Unnao police in March alleging that she had been raped at gunpoint on December 12, 2018

During the past week, thousands of Indians have protested in several cities following the alleged rape and murder of a 27-year-old vet near the southern city of Hyderabad.

Sexual assault support services: 1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732

1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732 Lifeline: 131 114

Lifeline: 131 114 Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 QLife: 1800 184 527

Protesters and parliamentarians are pressing for courts to fast-track rape cases and demanding tougher penalties.

The woman attacked and burned on Thursday morning (local time) was in a critical condition, according to DS Negi, a doctor at the Civil Hospital in Lucknow, the capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

The New Delhi TV station (NDTV) and other local media reported that the woman suffered burn injuries to 90 per cent of her body, according to Dr Ashutosh Dubey, medical superintendent of the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Hospital.

She had been on her way to catch a train in Unnao district to attend a hearing when she was doused with kerosene and set on fire, police said.

"As per victim's statement five people were involved in setting her on fire, including the one who was accused in the rape case," Vikrant Vir, a police superintendent in Unnao said.

Women display placards as they attend a protest march against rape and murder of women in India. ( Reuters: Rupak De Chowdhuri )

All five men have been detained, Uttar Pradesh police said in a tweet.

Police documents seen by Reuters showed the woman had filed a complaint with Unnao police in March alleging that she had been raped at gunpoint on December 12, 2018.

Having been subsequently jailed, the alleged rapist was released last week after securing bail, police officer SK Bhagat said in Lucknow.

Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state and has become notorious for its poor record regarding crimes against women, with more than 4,200 cases of rape reported there in 2017 — the highest in the country.

The Uttar Pradesh state government, currently controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), came under fire in July from opposition groups accusing it of protecting a lawmaker accused of rape.

ABC/Reuters