A woman is fighting for her life after she was doused in acid by her husband because she refused to have sex with him, it is claimed.

The unnamed woman was raced to hospital after her estranged husband allegedly poured the substance on her genitals at her home in northern India, reports the Metro.

The shocking incident is said to have taken place in the village of Behrin in the Kannuaj district of India’s Uttar Pradesh State.

Ved Pal was allegedly furious that his wife, whose name has not been released, was denying him intimacy.

The couple had been married for seven years and had two children together but were estranged.

The injured woman’s father, Kedar Singh, claims that Mr Pal beat his daughter up in her home and then poured a chemical, believed to be acid, on her genital area.

He claims his son-in-law’s brother, Ajay Pal, was also involved in the attack.

Singh learned about the incident from neighbours who called him after seeing the extent of her injuries.

He rushed home and took his daughter to the Kannuaj district hospital where she is fighting for her life.

A spokesman for the hospital where she is being treated for serious burns to her genitals and thighs said, ‘Her condition is critical.’

Singh has lodged a formal complaint at Tirva police station and officers have launched an investigation.

Police say their initial inquiries have confirmed that there was an incident at the house and that the woman was attacked.

Police spokesman Harish Chandra said, ‘The case has been registered and the police are trying to arrest persons named in the FIR (First Information Report).

‘We are trying to ascertain the nature of chemical used in the crime.’ It is unclear if the suspect has been arrested.