  We experimentally investigate Josephson current between two 5~$\mu$m spaced
superconducting indium leads, coupled to a NiTe$_2$ single crystal flake, which
is a type-II Dirac semimetal. Under microwave irradiation, we demonstrate a.c.
Josephson effect at millikelvin temperatures as a number of Shapiro steps. In
addition to the integer ($n=1,2,3,4...$) steps, we observe fractional ones at
half-integer values $n=1/2,3/2,5/2$ and 7/2, which corresponds to $\pi$
periodicity of current-phase relationship. In contrast to previous
investigations, we do not observe $4\pi$ periodicity (disappearance of the odd
$n=1,3,5...$ Shapiro steps), while the latter is usually considered as a
fingerprint of helical surface states in Dirac semimetals and topological
insulators. We argue, that our experiment confirms Josephson current through
the topological hinge states in NiTe$_2$: since one can exclude bulk
supercurrent in 5~$\mu$m long Josephson junctions, interference of the hinge
modes is responsible for the $\pi$ periodicity, while stable odd Shapiro steps
reflect chiral character of the topological hinge states.
