var l={
list: {
"action_buttons[0]": "View",
"action_buttons[1]": "Share",
"action_buttons[2]": "Download",
"columns[0]": "Date of Study",
"columns[1]": "Patient",
"columns[2]": "File name",
"columns[3]": "Reporting <br>Physician",
"columns[4]": "Institution"
}
};
var n = {};
for (var item in l.list) {
if (l.list.hasOwnProperty(item)) {
r = item.replace(/\[\d\]/,'');
if(n[r]==undefined){ n[r]=[] }
n[r].push(l.list[item]);
}
}
l.list = n;
console.log(l);